(originally posted on 2/28/12) There was a time, in the halcyon days of the American auto industry – and, indeed, of America itself – when there were “Chevy families,” “Ford families,” and the like. I was born well after that era, but after the second fuel crisis in 1979, my father traded in his Ford Torino for what he called “the cheapest new car available,” a 1979 Mazda GLC. For the next 25 years, we were oddballs everywhere we went. We were a Mazda family.

My parents owned a succession of piston-powered Mazdas, but never any of the Wankel-powered cars. It’s not that they didn’t want to, but the time when Mazda planned to power all their cars with the rotary engine was long past, and a two-seat RX-7 wasn’t in the cards with a young me hanging around. However, my father had a great admiration for the engineering simplicity of the Wankel, and explained its operation to me as a young child.

As it does for many boys as they grow into young men, my interests turned from Legos and model trains, to sports cars and women. For some, the interest in the former was a means to an end to acquire the latter. I, however, had – and still have – a passion for both. I wanted nothing more than an RX-7. Of course, being 16 and broke, the closest I was going to get was to buy my parents’ 1988 Mazda B2200 pickup truck. This wasn’t as poor a substitute as one would imagine – it shared its manual transmission with RX-7s, after all! It also handled pretty well, especially after I added some American Racing Outlaw II 16” wheels and fat Falken tires, and lowered it 2”.

However, when I was in college, one of my father’s coworkers was selling his 1988 Mazda RX-7 GTU, as he had purchased a 1994 RX-7, and no longer had the space for the older car. It was a bit rough around the edges, but it only cost $1,700. It was a revelation. The first time my father drove the car, within 30 seconds, he said “ok, now I understand what the fuss was all about.”

The second-generation RX-7 sometimes gets a bad rap. In most people’s minds, it is overshadowed by the simplicity and purity of the original RX-7, and the brilliant handling and rocketship thrust of the third-generation. Some people call it the 280ZX of RX-7s – others think its styling was a blatant copy of the Porsche 944.

Having had some experience with all three generations of RX-7s, however, I would argue that the second-generation car deserves better. The first generation may have been the original, but it was really a parts-bin sports car. The chassis was based on that of the RX-3 and GLC. It had a live rear axle and recirculating ball steering. I currently own a 1981 RX-7, and aside from the rotary engine’s smoothness and prowess at highway speeds, it feels a bit agricultural, more MGB than modern sports car.

On the other hand, the second-generation car was a true clean-sheet design. It included rack-and-pinion steering, an independent rear suspension, and a completely unique chassis. It also resisted rust far better than the first generation cars. The only major carryover was the engine and transmission, which were an improvement over the 13B and M-type transmission from the first generation GSL-SE. The second-generation car was really Mazda’s first modern sports car.

It is true that the second-generation car is the softest of the three, but the softest RX-7 is a far harder-edged machine than any Z car short of the original 240Z. At 2700 lbs in non-turbo form, it is some 500 lbs heavier than the very first RX-7s, but only about 200 lbs heavier than the GSL-SE, and about the same weight as the third-generation car. The Turbo II is about 100 lbs heavier still – not only does it have the weight of the turbo, intercooler, and associated plumbing, but it uses a different R-type transmission, and heavier-duty driveshaft, differential, and axles.

A word about the second-generation trim levels – without delving into too much detail, they really matter on this car, and confusingly, were swapped around from year to year. A general rule of thumb is that most years there was a base model with 4-lug wheels and smaller brakes, a GXL with power windows, locks, 5-lug wheels, larger brakes, and an adjustable suspension, a Turbo II which had the turbocharged engine and all the power equipment

However, in 1988 there was a GTU model, commemorating Mazda’s dominance of the IMSA GTU class with the RX-7. This model had the upgraded brakes, suspension, and Recaro seats from the Turbo II, the 15” wheels from the GXL, and an available sunroof and air conditioning, but no power windows or locks. Road and Track preferred this model to the turbocharged 10th Anniversary Edition. However, starting in 1989, the GTU was the base model, and Mazda introduced a GTUs, which was similar to the 1988 GTU, but with additional suspension tweaks, an aluminum hood, and a steeper 4.30:1 rear differential. In my opinion, the ones to own are the Turbo II, the 1988 GTU, and the 1989-90 GTUs.

While the car does share styling similarities with the Porsche 944 – and the 944 was Mazda’s target for this RX-7 – there is an original basis for much of the styling. Mazda had wanted the one-piece backlight for the original RX-7, but had nixed it for cost reasons. (Indeed, the second-generation RX-7’s backlight was the largest glass installed in a Japanese car up until that time, and required the supplier to purchase new equipment to make it.) The flared fenders had first been seen on RX-7s on the early IMSA cars, which had widebody fenders to fit much wider rubber.

This styling cue can be seen on several other Mazdas of the 1980s, including the first-generation MX-6 coupe, the first-generation MPV, and the Ford Festiva. Yes, the Festiva is a Mazda design – the 121 – which was subsequently sold to Kia, which, at the time, was a Ford and Mazda affiliate. Kia built the Festiva for Ford. Regardless of how much of the styling came from Porsche, and how much from Mazda’s IMSA racing efforts, I regard the RX-7’s styling to be cleaner and more cohesive than the 944, which was evolved from a 1970s design.

Two-seaters are considered somewhat antisocial in Japan, and so every RX-7 has been designed as a 2+2. However, the second-generation cars were the only ones available in the US with the rear seats installed. First-generation cars required the removal of a collision brace to install the rear seats, and third-generation cars are very small inside and were always marketed in the US as extremely focused sports cars. Still, RX-7 2+2s are rare in the US. Most cars had the storage lockers instead.

not a GTU

The interior is obviously out of the 1980s, but avoids some of the worst excesses of cars like the Subaru XT. The interior was designed around a two-person bathtub, as the Japanese consider this a comfortable and personal space. Instead of the usual steering column stalks, there are paddles behind the steering wheel. One operates the turn signals, and the other is the cruise control, if equipped. The switches for the wipers and headlights are to either side of the instrument panel, along with buttons for the hazard lights and to raise the popup lights without turning them on.

This is a useful function if the car is parked outside in winter weather. Unlike most pop-up lights, these used a trapezoidal linkage that kept the bulbs facing forward no matter whether the lights were raised or lowered. This allowed them to shine through small plastic windows in the front fascia to allow a flash-to-pass function. This mechanism is unusually robust – unlike many other cars with popup lights, you will rarely see them fail on a second-generation RX-7. However, it is still best to leave the lights popped up if snow or ice is expected overnight. The center stack is largely conventional, aside from the Logicon HVAC system, which was fully electronic – there were no mechanical connections from the buttons or sliders to the actual HVAC system. This is normal today but not as common in the 1980s. These could become troublesome, as we will see.

not the author’s engine

The naturally aspirated variants of the second-generation car are among the most mechanically robust Wankels Mazda has built. The engines are easily good for over 150,000 between rebuilds. I personally had one go to 182,000 miles before compression became marginal.

If the second-generation cars were relatively rust-resistant and mechanically robust, why are they a rare sight on the roads today? The cars’ Achilles Heel is its electrical system. There are several different circuit boards in the car – the ECU, the body computer, the instrument panel, the warning light cluster, the aforementioned Logicon, and speed-sensitive power steering controller. Each was constructed using a cold-soldering process, and over time, these solder joints would fail due to vibration and temperature fluctuations. The prices for new units – when you could find them – are eye-watering.

I kept my car on the road by removing each unit, and resoldering every single joint on the boards. It is not particularly difficult, but it IS mind-numbingly tedious. However, it solved every drivability problem the car had. However, most folks didn’t know this was possible or couldn’t be bothered, and it led to a lot of cars being parked or junked when they wouldn’t run right, or couldn’t pass emissions. There used to be a business that would rebuild these items at reasonable prices, but I can’t recall the name, and doubt they still exist.

The turbocharged cars have some additional issues – Mazda included an boost limiter that, incredibly, would keep the turbo from producing more boost than specified by cutting the fuel supply. As anyone who has worked on turbocharged cars knows, this is a Very Bad Thing. Since the factory exhaust backpressure regulated turbo boost, owners who were used to other turbocharged cars would swap a free-flowing exhaust onto the car, only to find boost spikes would lead to a fuel cut, which would lead to knock, which quickly destroyed the engine’s apex seals, which are analogous to the piston rings in a reciprocating engine. Rotary engines do not tolerate knock at all.

Additionally, many of these cars were destroyed by the Fast-and-the-Furious crowd in the early 2000s. I am responsible for the destruction of one – in my case, though, it was a wet road and an unmarked hairpin turn. I replaced it with an identical Sunrise Red 1988 RX-7 GTU. Unfortunately, in 2005, I had a cooling system failure, coupled with an unresponsive coolant temperature gauge. The needle spiked from normal to full high in about 5 seconds, and at that point the car immediately boiled over. This was an unfortunate combination of issues, as it provided me no warning of a pending overheat condition, which promptly destroyed the engine.

Both cars rest on my parents’ property. I bought the wreck back from the insurance company to use as a parts car, and for various reasons over the years I have not gotten around to rebuilding the engine in the second car. Money isn’t the issue – I travel weekly for my job and just do not have time for such projects. I could pay to have it done, but the chassis has 185,000 miles, and I question whether I should restore such a high mileage chassis with some rust, or whether I should hold out and buy a nice, low-mileage example. Unfortunately, I am very picky, as I specifically want another 1988 GTU in Sunrise Red. I have been looking for one for years, and the only one I’ve seen for sale had over 150,000 miles on it. I have since owned a 2004 Mazda RX-8, and a 1981 Mazda RX-7. The RX-8 actually felt similar to the second-generation car, but I am a child of the 1980s, and modern cars simply sit higher, even sporty ones.

Ultimately, I think the best possible second-generation RX-7 would be a GTU or GTUs with the 13B-MSP from the RX-8 installed. It’s an easy 240 hp in a reliable, streetable, emissions-friendly package. Furthermore, parts availability for the older rotaries is starting to become a problem – RX-8 engine parts are also the cheapest option.

First-generation RX-7s are becoming collector items – several nice examples have sold recently on eBay for $10,000 or more – and third-generation RX-7s will always be legendary and have largely hit the bottom of their depreciation curve. However, the second-generation car is, to me, the perfect intersection of modernity and simplicity. Mother nature seems to agree with me, as she placed a wildflower on the grave of a great car.

31 Comments

I had an FC3 RX-7 from 1989 – 1997, same silver colour as one of the cars featured here. It was a fun to drive, well built, refined, and nicely balanced car.

I had some weird problems with the Logicon HVAC controls – when a circa 1990 cell phone was used too close to the dash it would sometimes cause the HVAC to behave strangely. I would also get warning lights that would flash occasionally without any good reason. Other than that, the electronics worked fine. I did have a few mechanical issues while I owned it though.

I remember when this series of RX-7 came out, “Road & Track” called it a “Technological tour de force”. It certainly did seem somewhat ahead of its time, and when I see a survivor today it’s hard to believe this design is now over 25 years old.

I sold the RX-7 in 1997, shortly after my daughter was born. At the time, I had the RX-7 and a chrome bumper MGB, and it didn’t really make sense to have two two seat cars at that point in my life, so one of them had to go. I’ve still got the MGB…

I remember sitting in one of these at my local auto show when they were new. I liked it, although it was a mite pricey. The thing I remember most was the sunroof that opened by popping up over the roof and sliding back, rather than down and under the roof surface.
I have always hesitated to think too much about an RX-7 due to my complete inexperience with rotaries and the fear of the steep and potentially expensive learning curve. But I am glad that there are people like you around to keep these cars on the road. Thanks for a nice piece about them.

Lots of automotive electronics suffer from poor-quality soldering (cold solder joints, where the component leads on the board never got hot enough during the soldering process for the solder to properly bond to them). The temperature cycling that occurs, both from the outside environment as well as the heat generated by the components themselves, helps to speed up the failure as well.

The “main relay” issue (intermittent starts and/or stops) that fuel-injected Hondas suffered from for years can often be corrected by resoldering all of the connections to the PCB, in a similar manner.

From my own observations, the primary factor in these cars’ demise was the lack of extra TLC in operation and maintenance of the rotary engine. You can ruin one in short order by running it too hard and fast before it warms up.

And synthetic oil wasn’t in widespread use either when most of the 1st & 2nd-generation cars were in service (this reminds me of the high number of early VW 1.8Ts that were sludged and ruined due to not running synthetic oil).

Outstanding article, Joe. Even more comprehensive than the articles in Hemmings. Thanks!

It is a shame about the Wankel engine. I’ve been a fan since childhood when I first saw one on the cover of Popular Science. The rotary engine may have a second life in series-hybrid cars (like the Volt), where its small size, light weight and smoothness are big advantages. I think Mazda’s working on that.

At first glance that photo with four wheels lined up was a shock. For a second I thought it was the first and only eight-wheel sports car!

Next to connectors, solder joints are the bane of all electronics. Especially in cars, since there’s no harsher environment than under the hood of a car. Interior’s not much better. Shock, vibration, temperature swings, humidity, dirt, dust and general neglect. Sharing your experience with RX-7 PCBs as you do here may bring others back to life as well.

Know what you mean about too many projects and not enough time. At least a couple of red RX-7s are nicer to look at in the yard than rusting Hudsons.

I was exposed to one of these in that gray color in the early 90s. it belonged to a GF that eventually moved in with me (she wasn’t invited because of the car). it was blast to drive on the highway and yes, it was very low to the ground. the snap of the cockpit made me smile as i remember an especially enjoyable ride home from a Christmas party. 🙂

I especially liked the convertible edition of these but recall even in 1990 it was pricing at 33k…. a bit much for a recent college grad.

thanks for the write up, hope you sort out on of those cars— i’m sure your parents are thinking the same thing, right?

Use of synthetic oil is contraindicated by Mazda’s documentation on the cars. There has been a huge debate on the issue over the years, but I will just sum it by saying that Mazda experienced an issue with one particular early synthetic oil brand. Rotaries are designed to burn oil (they have an oil metering pump for this purpose so you don’t have to premix like on a two stroke) and Mazda found that the synthetic oil in question left deposits in the engine that nonsynthetics did not. Mazda didn’t want to name the vendor and risk a lawsuit, so they simply contraindicated synthetic oil in general.

As someone with two ( 20th century) Mazdas sitting outside on the drive, I really loved this article. My favourite RX was always the 3rd gen RX7 , but when I got the chance to drive one briefly a few years back I found that I was too old to clamber in elegantly. I do still have notions of finding a cheap RX8 and ( heresy I know ) finding a piston engine that will fit it.

thanks for a great article full of interesting details without the fanboy bs. i’ve always had a soft spot for these cars. farago of ttac had a first gen rx7 back in college and i had a blast, back in the day, co-piloting as he hooned his way through boston traffic.

i think of mazda as the modern equivalent of chrysler. they are widely respected for their engineering skills but they are an also ran in the marketplace due to cheapish interiors and offbeat styling. that being said, i give them serious props for keeping the wankel alive. i would love an rx7 or 8.

I always liked the simplicity of the FC’s design, but it also had an unfortunate (and most likely unintentional) resemblance to the Dodge Daytona, especially from the side. Both were likely influenced by the Porsche 924 or 944.

I still see the FC, 924, and 944 around in the summer – Daytonas have been extinct for years.

I had a high school girlfriend who drove a GSL-SE to school–what a fun car! What I remember from one friend who had one of these was that some early models had a complex and expensive exhaust system that made at least my buddy abandon it for something newer. It was described as three cats in series, but that sounds like too much even for malaise era smog control…

I had the ’88 SE. It was in a long line of cars starting with a ’65 Nova. I would consider it the first modern car I owned. Nice handling, smooth engine, cruised well at high speed, tight body. Mine was silver as in the above pics, and it still looks good.

Sold it after three years and 90,000 freeway commuting miles because I needed four seater. Car was trouble free for that time, but I do remember on one or two occasions it briefly failed to start. If I had to find any fault with it, fuel economy was it. It got about 21 MPG on my commute, not much better than subsequent much larger vehicles. All in all very good, but too short memories of this car.

I never thought much of the second-gen RX-7 until a friend bought one in 2001 (red, GTU, just like the ones above), to replace his ’88 MX-6 Turbo. We were both into the FnF-style modding popular in the early ’00s (on college student budgets), and compared with my overly-stiffened NA Miata, the FC was much more of a “real car.” But I remember the surprising sense of continuity between the two: similarities in interior bits, driving position, control feel… it gave a real sense of character to Mazda’s sports car line.

Owning a Mazda rotary has been on my bucket list for many years, as they are the one form of internal combustion that I, despite being a lifelong, and professional mechanic, have yet to even change the oil on one. Been looking at RX-8’s, but finding one with a manual trans that hasn’t been riced out to within an inch of its life, has been a challenge. Ones with auto trans are seemingly everywhere, and they can’t give them away.

Since I moved from Pennsylvania to California in 2013, I sold these on to a rotary enthusiast on the east coast. I decided that, if I choose to have another second-generation RX-7, it will be a rust free west coast car.

I also sold the 1981 RX-7 when I moved. Right now the only Mazda in the family is my 1992 B2600i 4×4 pickup, which I purchased a few months after I moved here. It’s cleaner underneath than anything I owned on the east coast after one winter.

The only reason I kept my Dodge Challenger is because I never drove it in the winter when I lived on the east coast.

There are still “Ford(Insert make of choice here) families”. A friend of mine, even after having some truly awful cars, keeps on buying Fords. As his brothers and sister and their families do. It’s crazy. His bad ones began in 1979 with the first Mustang he bought. It had all kinds of electrical issues and he went and traded it for another Mustang! This one was better, but not great. Later on, he buys his new wife a Windstar, and it had trans after trans put in it, with one not even making it off the dealer’s lot! The Taurus and Crown Vics that replaced it had a ton of engine issues (wrist pins in the Vic, WTF??), and even the first F150 he bought was a bad one. But, he keeps on buying them. I’ve had one really bad vehicle, a ’77 Power Wagon, and I avoided Dodge lots for about 10 years before biting on a Caravan, which was gutless, but ok. He just buys another Ford, like it will be better. His Ecoboost F150 is having some kind of engine issues now…and he’s planning on buying a 2015 as soon as the present one is paid off. I don’t get it. My sister and brother in law are on their fourth Mazda, and while they haven’t been all that bad, each one has been more problem plagued than the last, and she’s planning on buying a new one next year. I would imagine it will be in an awful color, as she seems to pick the worst colors available, since 1973.

My most memorable encounter with one of these was during the height of the “Fast and Furious” era when I saw a Turbo model that had been desecrated by trying to make it a pseudo Acura since the cool had Integras. The car had a crappy black paint job, red Acura badges, the ludicrous “Powered by Acura” seatbelt pads and the obligatory fart cannon. I felt a strong urge to berate the kid behind the counter at TCBY for turning a sports car that had a serious reputation in its own right into a 3rd rate copy of a jumped up econobox.

These were very good cars, especially for the era, and I always liked the styling; very clean and timeless. Rare to see anymore though. There is one that lives down the street from me though, a red GTU, faded and looking a little ratty but still a frequent driver. One of the many interesting cars that live near me.